Director Robert Vas was himself a refugee from Hungary, having arrived in London only three years earlier when he received a grant from the BFI to make the film. Despite its slightly incongruous use of voiceover,Refuge Englandwas adopted by the Free Cinema movement for its stylistic contrast of contradictory images and sound and its focus on the dispossessed. With its enquiry into themes that are just as resonant in today’s society, and its uncompromising...

The award-winning Horrible Histories returns for a special episode about Mary, Queen of Scots, starring Jessica Ransom. We follow Mary as she stumbles from young girl in Scotland, to queen in France, back to queen in Scotland, and finally to Elizabeth I's public enemy no. 1—with a bit of Queenian Rhapsody thrown in for good measure! Meanwhile across the world we meet silver-nosed Danish scientist Tycho Brahe, and Mr. H gives us his unique take on...

Traces advancement of modern missiles featuring the first guided missiles, pioneer work with liquid fuel, air-to-air missiles, and development of V-1 and V-2. Reviews improvements in bombers and intermediate and long-range missiles. (15 minutes)

After World War II, advances in agricultural technology transformed American food production. Motorized tractors, ploughs, and combine harvesters; breakthroughs in soil science; and new chemical pesticides enabled farmers to produce much larger crops than they had in the past. Copyright The WPA Film Library.

By the end of 1966, more than 385,000 U.S. military forces were stationed in Vietnam. The escalation and unpopularity of the war began to lower President Lyndon B. Johnson's approval ratings. Many prominent Democrats in Congress started to question the rationale for the war, as well, and called for a U.S. withdrawal. Some wounded soldiers returning from Vietnam later joined the growing anti-war movement. Copyright The WPA Film Library.

At the end of World War II, Americans were glad to see the end of rationing and embarked on an era of increased material consumption. During the 1950s, Americans bought a record number of cars, which created a boom in the oil industry. The Zapata Offshore Oil Company was started in 1953 by George H. W. Bush. Copyright The WPA Film Library.

Reviews development of atomic bomb, its role in World War II, and postwar atomic tests in Marshall Islands. Explains how the hydrogen bomb changed the nature of warfare. (14 minutes)

In the 1950s, IBM received several large government contracts from the Department of Defense to install its new key punch computer system as a part of new missile and defense systems. These contracts allowed the company to invest in new technology that would allow it to become the dominant U.S. computer company throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Copyright The WPA Film Library.

A French colony since 1847, Algeria stepped up efforts to gain independence as soon as World War II was over. On November 1, 1954, Algerian rebels belonging to the National Liberation Front (FLN) converged on French military posts and government buildings, provoking an eight-year war that left more than 1 million people dead. The war ended with the Treaty of Evian, which granted Algeria its autonomy.

The demand for automobiles increased dramatically after World War II. The assembly line, invented by Henry Ford in the early 20th century, expedited production of automobiles and other machinery. Copyright The WPA Film Library.